The Broken Fountain

Belmonte describes Fontana del Re, an impoverished Neapolitan neighborhood, documenting the struggles of Neapolitans surrounded by crumbling buildings and economic insecurity. Resisting standard depictions of the social and moral lives of the poor, Belmonte presents nuanced portraits of his subjects. He was also one of the first anthropologists to reflect on his own reactions and emotions. He describes the traumatic experience of living alone in a strange urban environment and his social interactions with the residents of Fontana del Re.